Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

कृष्ण एव परो देव कृष्णएव परागतिः । कृष्ण एव परो बंधुस्तस्यासीदवनीपतेः

Transliteration

kṛṣṇa eva paro deva kṛṣṇaeva parāgatiḥ | kṛṣṇa eva paro baṃdhustasyāsīdavanīpateḥ

Translation

ಆ ಅವನೀಪತಿಗೆ ಕೃಷ್ಣನೇ ಪರಮ ದೇವ; ಕೃಷ್ಣನೇ ಪರಮ ಗತಿ; ಕೃಷ್ಣನೇ ಪರಮ ಬಂಧು ಹಾಗೂ ರಕ್ಷಕನಾಗಿದ್ದನು.

Word by Word

• कृष्णः: Kṛṣṇa
• कृष्णः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• एव: alone; indeed
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपातः (particle of emphasis/exclusivity)

• परः: supreme
• परः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Predicate qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• देवः: god; deity
• देवः: Samanaadhikarana (समानाधिकरण/Predicate noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• कृष्णः: Kṛṣṇa
• कृष्णः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• एव: alone; indeed
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपातः

• परा-गतिः: supreme refuge/goal
• परा-गतिः: Samanaadhikarana (समानाधिकरण/Predicate noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक) + गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; कर्मधारयः (‘supreme refuge/goal’)

• कृष्णः: Kṛṣṇa
• कृष्णः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• एव: alone; indeed
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपातः

• परः: supreme
• परः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Predicate qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• बन्धुः: kinsman; friend; protector
• बन्धुः: Samanaadhikarana (समानाधिकरण/Predicate noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बन्धु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive/6th), एकवचनम्

• आसीत्: was
• आसीत्: Kriya (क्रिया/Finite verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकारः (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• अवनीपतेः: of the king (lord of the earth)
• अवनीपतेः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive apposition to तस्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवनी (प्रातिपदिक) + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘lord of the earth’)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative, typically Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A crowned king in court, hands folded toward an image of Kṛṣṇa/Viṣṇu; ministers stand behind, but the king’s gaze is fixed on the deity, signifying ultimate reliance.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛṣṇa
• Avanīpati (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śaraṇāgati: make Kṛṣṇa the supreme deity, refuge, and closest protector in life and rule.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśī-kṣetra devotional setting (Kāśīkhaṇḍa), where supreme refuge in God is praised as the highest dharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual; it teaches unwavering devotion and refuge in Kṛṣṇa.